Striking the fright of the term written-off, the owner of the vehicle, which experiences significant damage or prang in the aftermath of an accident or calamity, finds himself in a freaky situation. Raising concerns in the areas of both safety and economy, a write-off car must be critically analyzed before being bought or sold.
Although the repairable vehicle can be repaired to be driven back on the road, the cost of repair outweighs its market value that does not make economic sense. Thus, an undesirable situation emerges.
Moreover, you can check an online car history details for any used vehicle before purchasing it from the seller. This will provide you an overview of the vehicle write off details if it is incorporated by any major damage or repairs in the past.
A Write-off Car and its Categories:
A vehicle that has sustained so much crash or damage that it would be dangerous enough to have it back on the road or uneconomical to get it repaired is termed as a write-off car. A write-off is a reduction of the recognized value of something (car).
Two categories of written-off cars include: repairable and statutory. The former one can be repaired, but uneconomical whereas the latter one cannot be repaired because of acute security concerns. A fully repaired car can be registered again provided with the laws of the concerned state.
Options available with a Written-off car:
A written-off repairable car can either be bought or sold given the provisions of the laws under state. However, the question that raises concerns here is whether a written-off car ought to be used anymore and what are you getting yourself into with buying or perhaps selling a written-off car?
Selling a written-off car:
If your vehicle has undergone potential damage that it has been declared a write-off, then selling this car in Australia will need to pass a write off vehicle inspection (WOVI) first, following a lot more difficulties. The inspection is quite extensive and skeptic as well, and would not be worth market-value once it is deemed road-worthy.
Most of the WOVI certified cars are perceived to be worthless, and they’re sold for basement prices. Although you’re not obligated to reveal the WOVI testing, the potential buyers can find the car’s history online anyway. Thus, courtesy demands fair and healthy discussion prior to the deal.
Moreover, getting the WOVI will also depend on your living state since acquisition of a WOV registration is impossible in many states of Australia. However, you’ve the option to sell the parts yourself since many companies are available to buy in case. Thus, woes of selling a WO vehicle add fuel to fire if the decision is made unknowingly.
Buying a written-off car:
If you’re living in Australia and looking to buy a WOV, you must fulfil legal precautions before undergoing the procedure. It is absolutely legitimate to buy a WOV provided that the repairing of the vehicle should meet professional standards. You have the right to demand a fair discount for the abuse the car has undergone before repair.
The laws around buying a repairable write-off can differ by state as provided in Service SA. For instance, if you’re living in Sydney, then buying a repaired write-off for driving purpose will shackle you in a shocking position since the government of Sydney has declared the repaired write-off illegal to reduce re-birthing other than it being scrapped or sold for parts. However, zero-tolerance write-off rules are not applicable in states other than NSW. So, get to know the regulations of each state at the earliest.
Albeit, before buying a used car, do not forget to get the history record of the vehicle, avoiding inconveniences of the stolen cars. Similarly, the WOVI should be analyzed with hawk eye revealing every minor detail of the write-off.
Prudence lies in avoidance of written-off vehicles if possible!